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Goshen to match donations made to flood relief fund

Truth, The (Elkhart County, IN)

March 08--GOSHEN -- City officials agreed to match donations made to a new flood relief fund for homeowners who lost winter essentials like furnaces last month.

Goshen City Council voted Tuesday to establish the fund at the request of Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, who noted that help from county, state and federal sources in recovering from February's record flooding may still be weeks or months away. He said Goshen is in a unique position within the county and may need to help itself, not only for the sake of time but also to leave other resources to be focused where they're most needed.

"Goshen is in a different place from every other community in Elkhart County right now. Our water has already receded and people are trying to get their homes back up and running," he said. "In the countywide effort, a lot of the money is going to Elkhart, and rightfully so. They estimated they're going to have to tear down 100 homes."

Stutsman observed that about 280 properties in Goshen were affected by the flood, and while it's only a fraction of the 1,500 homes in Elkhart that were damaged, many of them are owner-occupied homes in low-lying, low-income areas where people have been left without a working furnace or hot water heater. Very few of those homes, possibly only single-digit numbers, had flood insurance, added Fire Chief Danny Sink.

"I can't over-emphasize the importance of this, for the leadership and the city to help people get back on their feet," Sink said.

The city will collect donations and LaCasa will administer the fund, since helping homeowners is something the agency has experience with. A five-member review committee, which won't include elected officials as voting members, will make sure the rules established for the fund are followed.

The rules, including guidelines for spending the money and qualifications for receiving help, are still being drafted but are close to completion. Stutsman said the city will make an announcement soon.

He said the city had received about $15,000 in donations even before the fund was established. Donations can be made online at goshenindiana.org/flood-recovery-fund or by check, made out to Goshen 2018 Flood Recovery Fund, dropped off at any city office or Interra Credit Union branch.

Council members also agreed with Stutsman's request to set aside $100,000 out of the $2.1 million in the rainy day fund to match every donation made to the flood relief fund, to encourage people to give. And they voted earlier in the meeting to waive building permit and inspection fees for residents making repairs from flood damage until July.

Stutsman noted the fund is something that came together quickly but they were cautious to ensure that the people it helps aren't disqualified from receiving other types of aid. It's also something that other communities are watching, to see how they can go through a similar process.

Council discussed the possibility of expanding the program to include renters or creating a long-term disaster relief fund, like the one Kokomo established after suffering two tornadoes in a short period, but both would depend on how much is collected and how much is left over. Stutsman also wondered how often the city is likely to see such a flood, which caused the Elkhart River to peak at 12-1/2 feet, after remarking that it has a less than one percent chance of happening any given year.

"It was the worst thing we've seen in Goshen, ever, since it's been charted," he said. "My intent is, if we raise money, we're gonna get it to people and not save money back."